A word of warning to my readers: There is some content here that could be a little disturbing. My apologies to those who hate this sort of thing.

There is nothing too gross in this chapter (I think), but nonetheless, the squeamish might want to be wary.

Enjoy.

Vines & Briars

Chapter 9: Pragmatic

When Rick came to, he was cold and sore all over, lying on his back, silence pouring into his ears.

Ugh… ow… that was one rough battle…

There were a set of teeth marks over his torso that were still throbbing with pain. Thankfully, they had long-since stopped bleeding.

He rolled onto his belly and stood up carefully, feeling pain all over and considerable stiffness. Then Rick looked around and realized two things which set any pain he was feeling at the back of his mind.

One, Quil and Rio were nowhere to be found. He was alone…

And two, he wasn't at the beach anymore. He had no idea where he was, as this place didn't look like anywhere he'd been before or even seen.

Looking around more and taking in the scenery… it seemed that he was somewhere in a marsh or swamp. The trees around him were relatively short and gnarled, with ivy hanging from many of them and the thick canopy overhead obscuring any view of the sky or sunlight that might've leaked in. The ground was extremely damp and there were several puddles of water where there weren't tree roots sticking out of the ground. Anywhere else, there was thick, soupy mud. Rick was on a rare boulder sitting in the midst of the swampy mess.

Denzel must have taken me here after he beat us up like that… but why'd he drop me here? WHERE did he drop me anyways?

The fact that he was in this situation made it clear they had lost against Denzel, even if the memory of the fight was a little fuzzy from trauma. All he really remembered at this point was that Quil had gone down fast… and then Denzel had sunk his fangs into Rick himself. Another blow to the head, and Rick's memory of events from there was a blank. The next memory, he'd woken up here.

Well, I don't know what he did with Rio and Quil. For all I know, they could be somewhere around this swamp… or perhaps that jerk took them somewhere else. Also possible he just left them back at the beach and singled me out for this. Whatever the case, I suppose my first objective should be to get out of here.

This set in-mind, Rick looked around again, looking for an obvious way forward that would lead out.

Ugh… which way though is out?

After some deliberation, he finally settled on a direction and set off that way.

Like with that Cove, I have no idea where I'm going, and somehow I managed to find my way forward, so I might as well just set out and see where I end up.

-0-

The swamp showed itself to be a maze just as much as Moss Cove. It also held as many dangers. Rick was forced to watch his step as he attempted to navigate through the wetland. He was injured as it was, and he had no desire to worsen what wounds he already had.

Then there were the pokemon who were apparently residents to this place. There were some water-types, dwelling in the mud and other species in the trees. They occasionally moved into Rick's path and he was forced to beat them aside with his vines.

There were also one or two poisonous pokemon that stepped into Rick's path, one that looked like a frog standing on its hind legs, and when they intercepted him, Rick backed off and sought out another course to navigate the bog. For reasons he couldn't understand, he seemed to know what it was by-instinct… or it may have been his memory again. Either way, he knew it was called a Crogunk and it was poisonous.

I've already been poisoned once before and I spent my only antidote then. I can't afford to be poisoned again or I may never get out of here.

Another enemy that arose as Rick continued on his course: simply sheer hunger. The darkness of the bog made sunlight a rare thing and up until this point, Rick's body had been photosynthesizing and producing most of its sustenance for itself by capturing sunlight. The sun was blotted out by the canopy of the trees though and so Rick was slowly finding himself needing something to eat.

He counted himself lucky when he spotted a small piece of fruit hanging from one of the trees. He reached out with a vine and plucked the fruit off and then, seeing no way for him to really bite and chew, he simply swallowed it whole. He was forced to rest where he was, letting himself digest the fruit.

Whew… being a snake has some disadvantages…

He did feel relief at filling himself up though, new energy flowing into him.

Once he could move again, Rick stood up and continued on, trying to find a way out of the bog. There was once or twice where he was pretty sure he had ending up going in a circle, as he thought he recognized the rock he had been resting on previously.

What I would give for a map right about now.

His first adventure through a forest was coming back to him since he remembered how thoroughly lost he had gotten then.

Voice? Whoever you are… I could use a pointer or two right now.

It didn't matter how "loudly" Rick tried to think this though; there was no response. Whoever it was that had been helping him out early on seemed intent on fulfilling their last words. They weren't going to give him any more help from here on out.

-0-

Rick knew it was getting late when the swamp darkened even further, so he could hardly see what was around him. He could see traces of light that might've been what little moonlight that was getting through the tree-tops, but otherwise, everything was black.

Great… I get to spend the night in this forsaken place…

He managed to find a rock to rest on and settled down in place, coiling up and, feeling uneasy but too tired to really care, he dropped off to sleep.

Later on in the night though… he received a most shocking and rude awakening.

He was startled awake when a hand of some sort fell over his body and proceeded to pick him up off the rock he was on.

"Hey! Leggo!" He yelped.

Whoever it was made their intentions clear when they swung him down and Rick was slammed against the very rock he had been sleeping on. Rick yelped in pain and was dazed for several moments as his attacker picked him up again.

He couldn't really see in the dark but a warm wave of air washed over him and the next second Rick fell down what felt like a rather soft tunnel. It was also quite wet so he slid down it without much trouble.

He stopped when he landed on something else that was soft. It felt like he might've landed on another pokemon or something. Wherever he was, it was warm and he seemed to be in a small space.

It wasn't long though before Rick realized where he was.

Ugh… great…

The chamber was darker than the swamp and so Rick could not see at all, but he was pretty sure from the soft sounds he was hearing around him, that he was technically still in the swamp… just... inside someone else on top of that. He didn't want to think about where he really was. Panic was already threatening to rise up inside as it was. To openly acknowledge his situation in his mind was only going to make it worse.

Alright… have to get out of here… but… how?

He decided to go with the obvious route and he lashed the walls around him with a vine. However, it seemed that those were too soft and pliant to really be affected by this. Indeed, he didn't get the reaction he would've liked out of it and he remained stuck inside.

No dice there… that… that leaves me out of options.

The panic already growing decided to spread out more and Rick's heart sped up. It wasn't starting to burn in here yet, but he had only arrived so that was coming... it was only a matter of time, likely seconds. He also wanted to live. Who wouldn't have? But dying this way was just cruel. He hadn't even gotten to remember anything about himself.

His panic was cut-short though when his own stomach growled at him, interrupting the panicking train of thought.

Ugh… as if this situation wasn't enough, now it's my own that's looking for food. But...

Rick was already pretty sure he wouldn't find anything edible for him here… or was there? He couldn't explain it… but some sixth sense was buzzing through him. He could sense something that would satisfy him… if only for a little while.

Well, it's not gonna save me here... but at least I could perhaps get my stomach to stop bothering me...

Looking around did nothing to spot this food-source… so Rick closed his eyes and focused on other senses. When he focused on it, that extra sense he was feeling gave him an idea of where this food was…

It was all around him. He was inside it in fact. The walls around him contained it.

Knowing where he was already, Rick realized what he was sensing and was initially repulsed by the idea.

But… if I don't… this fellow will. So, I guess it'll just have to be a necessary evil. Besides... maybe it'll save me.

Rick kept his eyes closed, and focused. An instinct that seemed to come with his extra sense was arising and he allowed it to guide him.

After a moment's concentration, Rick could feel himself calling the energy around him, to himself. If he had visualized it, he would've seen a green, glowing substance, coming out of the walls. Latching onto what power allowed him to do this, Rick pulled harder and his body pulled the stuff… the nutrients right out of the walls and it proceeded to flow into him, where it promptly started to restore him. His injury from being slammed upon the rock earlier ceased to hurt and he felt more awake.

Meanwhile his victim, a Marshtomp, outside staggered and felt a considerable drain of energy.

C'mon! Spit me out already!

Rick called on more of the nutrients around him, drawing on them, and regardless of what anything or anyone may have otherwise desired, they obeyed him. More of it flowed into Rick, taking out of the Marshtomp and rapidly weakening the pokemon. It wasn't long before Rick felt completely renewed, as if the wounds that Denzel had given him had never happened.

By the time Rick finished, there were hardly any nutrients left that he could sense, and the mud-fish pokemon collapsed, unconscious from a lack of energy left in it now.

Rick was shaken out of his concentration by the slight tremor.

Alright. I guess I'll have to get out on my power… just need to…

He deduced roughly where he'd find the way up and out. Once he had found the path, had to snake his vines up the throat, then carefully pull himself up.

He then forced the mouth open and climbed out, shaking himself off afterwards.

Yuck… never again please...

Glad to be free of the water-type's stomach, he proceeded on through the swamp. He had no time to be unnerved by his own ability. He still felt empty... but it had given him energy.

I don't care if it's dark out anymore, I'm getting out of here before something else tries to make a snack out of me.

He used his ability to detect nutrients to sense the presence of other pokemon around the swamp. While the ground itself was rich in nutrients, other pokemon around him were considerably more mobile, and it seemed a lot more concentrated from his perception. He primarily avoided the residents, but when he couldn't find any food and he needed energy to keep going, Rick sought one out and proceeded to drain them to restore his own reserves. He held back enough that he didn't kill his victims, but he still couldn't hold back a sense of guilt at taking out of others so forcibly and he also wondered how much it hurt for them. He found his ability a little sickening... but in his situation, it was practical. It kept him standing and pressing onwards.

It's me or them here, and I'm voting "me".

It took a while, but Rick finally navigated his way to an exit from the marsh and found himself looking up at daylight once more.

Finally! I'm out!

He had never thought sunlight could feel so good. He was feeling starved by now, as draining his opponents had given him the energy to proceed... but only having actually eaten some fruit or something would've settled the pain going on in his stomach. The sunlight would help provide energy for him to continue on until he found more fruit, but for the moment, he was feeling quite faint right about now.

Grateful to be out in the warm sunlight again, Rick looked around, and almost immediately recognized the giant forest and the mountain to his right. There was also a stream of sorts flowing out of the swamp and going to what Rick deduced was the south. In trying to remember the details of the map he'd seen previously, Rick made a shrewd guess as to where he was.

I think that Floatzel, Denzel just dragged me straight north. I still don't know why he deposited me here of all places, but at least I got out of that maze.
I haven't any idea what Denzel may have done with Rio or Quil, but I didn't meet either of them after so long in that swamp so I doubt they're in there. Only thing to do right now is head back to Silver Village and maybe hope they're there. If not… well, at least I can plan out my search from there.

His knowledge about his whereabouts now firm in his mind, he proceeded towards Prickle Ravine, planning on heading back to the Guild from there. And hopefully, he'd find plenty of food on his way.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and also enjoy the ones to come. I'll try to keep myself from adding any more overly disturbing content.